Video: Ga. police under fire for aggressive arrest

The officers' language towards the homeowner and her children was viewed as unprofessional

By PoliceOne Staff

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Several deputies are under fire for the manner in which they entered a home and arrested the occupants for failing to pay a fee.

A 20-minute edited video taken by Donovan Hall and his brother details the July 26 incident. Officers began banging on the front door of the home where Hall, his mother, and two siblings lived, around 1:30 a.m., according to Hall.

Hall told police that they were at the wrong address and asked why they were there, but was only told to open the door. The officers stressed that they weren’t let in until 2:00 a.m.

The officers had a civil warrant to arrest Hall’s mother, Natania Griffin, for failing to pay a $1,000 fee, according to WSBTV.

"When they would not establish to what they wanted, we believed that they were at the wrong house because we would never think they would come arrest me for a civil fee," Griffin said, who has since paid the fee.

One sergeant and seven deputies are being investigated by DeKalb County Sheriff's Office leaders, according to the report.

"The language that was used was unprofessional, and I suspect there will be some disciplinary action," Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jeffery Mann said.